Mechanical movement



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR 0 L RAABE MECHANICAL MOVEMENT Filed Sept. 20. 1921 Aug 7, 1923.

Aug. 7, 1923.

o. L. RAABE MECHANICAL MOVEMENT Filed Sept. '20 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 O. L. RAABE MECHANI GAL MOVEMENT 3 Sheet -s 5 motion of the bed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bed driving mechanism which will form a complete unit and which may be constructed independently of the press and set into place or removed in its entirety so that the cylinder and bed part of the machines and the driving mechanism may be constructed independently and then readily as- 'semble-d.

With these and other objects not specifi- 'cally referred to in view, the invention consists in certain novel parts and combinations, a preferred form of which is shown in the accompanying drawings, in connection with which a preferred detail construction and arrangement of parts will now be described in detail, and the novel features pointed out in the claims annexed hereto.

Referring now to these drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section and partly broken away, of the .invention as employed with a bed and cylinder press, so much of the latter being shown as is necessary for an understanding of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view looking to the right of Fig. 1, the view being partly in section and partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a detail, partly broken, longitudinal sectional view of the driving worm for operating the bed, the section being taken on'line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow A of that Figure;

Fig. is an end view, partly in section, of one end of the bed driving worm; and Fig. 5 is a detail lan view showing a means by which the bed may be disconnected from the bed driving worm when it is desired to remove the driving mechanism as a pair of impression cylinders.- As illus-.

a unit.

Referring now to these drawings, the invention has been illustrated as used with a single cylinder bed and cylinder printing machine, in which the cylinder makes one revolution to one reciprocation of the bed. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to a printing press of this type, butmay also be used in machines in which the cylinder makes two or more revolutions to one reciprocation of the bed, and also may be used with machines having trated, the various parts of the mechanism are supported in side frames 1, 2 arising from a base 3, these frames and the base being of any usual or desired construction. These side frames are braced together b a brace or rib 4 supported from standardi; 5 rising from the base of'the machine.

The rib'Or base 4; is provided with flanged beams or tracks 6, twopair of these tracks being provided in. the construction illustrated, on. each side of the machine and extending longitudinally the length thereof. These tracks support a series of anti-friction rolls 7 held in place by the usual roller frames 8 secured between the flanges of the tracks. I

,The bed Which in the particular con-' struction illustrated'carries a printing form and is marked 9, is provided on its under side with connections such as shoes 11 which'run on the rollers 7 and support the bed in its backward or forward movement with a minimum amount of friction.

Secured to each side of the bed 9 are racks 12 which engage segments 13 secured on the ends of the impression cylinder 14. This impression cylinder is supported and driven by a shaft 15 mounted in bearings as journal boxes 16, secured in the side frames l, 2, before referred to.

The shaft 15 at one side of the machine has secured thereto a gear 17 which meshes with an intermediate gear 18 carried on a stud 19 mounted inthe side frame 2, and this gear 18 is in mesh with a gear 20 carried at one end of a cross shaft 21 which is supported in bearings-22 suitably supported in the frame 2 and one of the standards 5 before referred to.

In accordance with the invention, means will be provided for reciprocating this bed,

which will be of such character preferably that the bed is in continuous and uninterrupted control of one member of the'driving mechanism, so that a shift from a mechanism by which the bed is given its uniform reciprocating motion to a separate mecha-' nism whereby the reversal "of the bed takes place, is eliminated. Furthermore, these driving means will be preferably of such character that the member of the driving mechanism which actuate/s the bed will extend in the direction of the movement of the bed so as to eliminate as far as possible friction points and increase the strength and rigidity of the drive. While this driving mechanism may be somewhat varied, in the particular construction illustrated, there is provided a worm 24 in the form of a cylinder or roll mounted on a shaft 25 suitably secured by bearings 26 supported on standards 27 which form part of a carriage 28 hereinafter referred to. This worm is provided with right and left hand driving threads, 29, 30. v

Cooperating with 'these threads is a connection between the worm and the bed. In

esa

threads 29, 30 are preferably similarly tapered or inclined, so that the full width ofthe operatin face of the bed roller 31 bears upon the sides of the threads, so that an effective connection is made between the bed and "the worm and lost motion is avoided,- whereby the bed can be given lts reciproeating movements with a minimum amount of power.

' In constructions embodying a worm having right and left hand threads for effecting reciprocating movement of the bed, means will be provided whereby the walls of the threads at the points of cross-over may be made continuous. This construction permits the use of the anti-friction roll and does away with the shoes heretofore used In constructions where worms have been used for reciprocating beds, which shoes, on account of the necessity of their being long enough to lap over the cross-over points, cause considerable friction and render the structure unsatisfactory in practice. While various means may be employed for closing the gaps of cross-over points of the threads and making the threads continuous, in the particular construction illustrated, there is provided a pair of switches 34, 35, oneof these switches being provided on each slde of the worm roll. Each of these switches or recess 36, 37, which correspond in width,

depth and pitch to theright and left hand threads of the worm before referred to.. These switches carrying the recesses may be of various forms, but in the particular construction shown, they are in the form of bars 38, which slide in recesses 39 formed in the side surfaces of the worm roll 24.

These switches are manipulated so as to close the gaps in the right and left hand threads as the roller passes across these gaps.

While various means may be employed for manipulating these switch bars, in the particular construction illustrated (see Fig. 3) the bars are joined together so as to operate simultaneously, by a web 40 shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and secured to one of the bars is a connecting rod or bar 41 which, carries at one end a cam roll 42 which works in the continuous cam groove 43 on a cam block 44 loosely mounted on the shaft 26 before.

particular construction here illustrated these gears are proportioned thatthe cam block A tinuous bearing for the roll so that the roll is at all times in close driving contact with the worm and the bed is under control of the worm during a complete reciprocating cycle.

The shaft 25 may be driven in any suitable manner, but the connections will be such in the preferred construction that the shaft, worm, carriage and all may be readily positioned in the machine as a unit for convenience inconstruction and assembly. In the particular construction illustrated the cross shaft 21 before'referred to carries at its inner end a mitre gear 49 which meshes wit-h a mitre gear 50 secured to the shaft 25. The shaft 25 is connected by means of a coupling 51 with a main power shaft 52 of the machine which may be driven by an electric motor -or from any other suitable source of power not illustrated.

As before stated, in the best constructions the driving mechanism will be so arranged that it may be removed as a unit from the machine. In the particular construction il lustrated, therefore, the carriage 24, on which the shaft, worm, and gearing are mounted, is provided with rollers 53 running on the bed plate 3 beforereferred to. This bed plate is provided with slight recesses 54 into which the rollers 53 slide. When 'the carriage is drawn forward on the plate to free it from the machine, the rollers 53 ride out of the recess and lift the carriage sufficiently to clear the bed plate. At the same time the gear 50 is disengaged from the gear 49 and the shaft 25 uncoupled from the shaft 52, whereupon the whole driving mechanlsm may be removed as a unit from the machine. The carriage may be secured to the bed plate by bolts 55 passing through suitable cooperating lugs 56, which bolts are loosened when it is desired to remove through the opening and out of the thread I at the end of the wall of the worm.

In constructingthe driving mechanism, the worm 24 will be of sufficiently large diameter and heavy construction, so as to have the right and left hand threads sufliciently wide and deep to permit the bed roller 31 to engage the thread in its entire tit) course with a gooddriving fit. Furthermore, the thread is cut so as to gradually continue from the pitch by which the umform reciprocating motion has given the bed to a pitch which will decelerate and accelerate the reversal movement gradually,

' the thread running from a uniform pitch 1) of the drawings. Withthis construction 60. attached to the ribor brace 4, in which.

sudden stoppage and consequent strain on the mechanism due to the necessary heavy weight of the bed is eliminated and a quick, easy transition from forward to backward movement of the bed is obtained. In the construction illustrated in the drawings the parts are so geared that the worm 24 makes three revolutions, to one revolution of the impression cylinder 14 and the gear 20 on the cross shaft 21 is one third the diameter of the gear 17 onthe cylinder shaft 15, the

mitre gears 49, 50, being the same size. In a two revolution press the cylinder 14 would be approximately, only one half as large in diameter as in the one revolution press shown, and the worm 24 would then make three revolutions to two revolutions of the cylinder. The worm 24 is preferably de signed to make three revolutions to one revolution of a one-revolution cylinder press or two revolutions of a two-revolution cylinder press so that but twoswitches are necessary for use in closing the thread gaps. It will be understood, however, that the mechanism can be designedto have the worm make four or more revolutions instead of three, and

the number of switches correspondingly increased.

In order that a firm, rigid structure may be provided when the bed roller 31 is pass ing through the switches and so that the walls of the recesses in the switches will give the same driving power to the bed roll as is given by the thread of the worm, the ends of the switches are arranged to abut against the ends of the recesses in which the switches slide, and if desired the recess ends at this point may be provided with an adjustable block or the like so as to insure accurate alignment of the grooves in the cylinders with the threads in the worm, any usual construction for effecting this being provided.

In some instances, particularly where very heavy beds are being reciprocated, it may be desirable to employ air cushioning devices for assisting the worm in controlling the bed for checking the momentum of the bed at both ends of the reciprocation, and these may-be in the form of air cylinders cylinders work pistons 61, secured to the bottom of the bed as usually employed in flat bed cylinder presses, and it will be understood that these air cushioning devices may be employed if desired.

The operation of the movement as applied to a one revolution bed and cylinder press such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it is believed, will be clear from the above description, but may be amplified somewhat for the sake of entire clarity, as follows:

In the osition shown in Fig. 1, the rack 12 on the ed 9 is just entering into engagement with the segments 13 on the cylinder 14 at the start of the printing operation, the direction of movement of the bed and cylinder being indicated by the arrows and the direction of rotation of the worm 24 being indicated by the arrow thereon. At the point shown in Fig. 1, the bed roll 31 is in that part of the right hand thread 29 where the change. from the accelerated motion to the uniform motion has taken place. The

pitch of the thread 29 is such that when the worm 24 makes one revolution the roller 31 will have moved the bed 9 in a uniform on the cylinder shaft 15 the cylinder will have moved one third of the revolution. As shown the impression surface of the cylinder extends around approximately one thirdof the circumference and the segments 13 on the cylinder also extend about one third around the cylinder. As the cylinder continues to rotate at a uniform speed through the action of the driving gears, the segments pass out of engagement with the racks 12 at the completion of the printing stroke. During this one revolution of the worm 24 the bed roller 31 will have passed through the gaps 37 of the two,switches, the cam block 44 having manipulated the switch bar to properly position the recesses. The cam block 44 rotating in the same direction as the worm 24 will have made two thirds of a revolution during the one revolution of the worm and during this two thirds of the revolution of the cam block, the switches will have remained stationary owing to the shape of the cam groove 43 in the cam block 44.

When the racks 12 on the bed 9 have passed out of engagement with the segments 13 at the end of the printing movement, the roller 31 will have arrived at the point in .the thread-29 of the worm where the transition occurs from uniform pitch to. decelerating pitch. As the worm continues to revolve at a uniform speed one fourth of a revolution of the worm will gradually have brpught the bed roll 31 to the furthermost po1nt 1n the direction of movement of the bed 9 as mcontinuous at a uniform this one revolution the V deceleratin Ell thread. In a. further right hand thread, at

llytltldhddih' dicated by the arrow. In a further one quarterrevolution of the worm the roller 31 will, by the accelerating pitch of the thread have been caused to move gradually from a state or rest to a point in the thread where the pitch changes from accelerating to uniform. Thus during one half a revolution of the worm the, motion of the bed will have been gradually slowed down to-a stop and then gradually accelerated in a direction reverse to that indicated by the arrow. At the and oil the decelerating pitch of the thread where the stop, the thread changes from right hand to lelthand, that is, the thread 29 changes to the thread 30. During a further revolution of the worm the motion of the bed is speed, and during roller will pass throu h the switches which have been moved to bring the other annular recesses 36 in the switches in line with the thread so as to form acontinuation thereof. Nearly a whole revolution of the worm thus takes place while the switches are shifted from one position to the other and time the cam block dd will have made approximately two thirds of a revolution, the cam roll 42, during this movement of the during this switches, having passed through one of the eccentiric parts of the groove in the cam bloclrdd. After the roller 31 by its reversed movement has passed throu h the uniform pitch of the thread, it will have arrived at a point where the thread again changes to a decelerating pitch and when the roller arrives at this point.

the worm 2d will have made approximately two and a halt" revolutions. During a further one quarter revolution of the worm 2d the roller 31 will have passed through the pitch part of the thread and havebroug t the reversed motion of the bed gradually left hand thread changes to the right hand one quarter revolution of the worm'the roller will pass through the accelerating part or the thread up to the point where the accelerating pitch part of the thread again merges into the uniform which point. one comrocation ot the bed will have been plete reci and the racks are again in posi:

complete tion to enter into engagement with the segments on the cylinder.

It is possible, of course, attend the uniform pitch of the thread to somewhat more than one revolution of the Worm and to lessen the reversing pitch to correspond so as to ire the bed moving at a unit speed a littlebeiore and after as well as during the actual printing and return move ments. a U

With the oo'nmruetion as described, a very roller bringsithe. bed to av uniform pitch of the to a. stop at the point where-the :3 bed motion been provided, one in which the parts are arranged so asto dispense with many of the.

elements now used in such bed motions and in which the'bed is positively controlled by ill.

curate reciprocating movement with little wear of the parts. Furthermore, as the drivmg shaft is arranged longitudinally of the machine, the thrust of the reversal of the bed is in this direction, and a bed motion of great strength and power is provided, and the power is a plied in a direct manner to a bed greatly re need in weight.

While the invention has been shown in its preferred form as employed with a bed and cylinder printing machine, it will be understood that it may be used in other de vices and that various changes may bemade in the specificconstruction and arrangements of ,parts without departing tromf the invention as deed in the claims annexed hereto.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination of a bed, a driver hav- I ing a right and left hand thread crossing each other, means for making the threads continuous at the cross over points, and connections from the bed working in the threads.

2. The combination ofa bed, a driver having right and left handthreads crossin each other, switches having right and let hand recesses corresponding in pitch to the threads, means for intermittently operating the switches to bring the recesses in line with the threadsat the cross over points,

and connections from the bed working in the, threads and recesses.

3.1lhe combination of a bed, a roiling driver having right and left hand threa crossing each other, switches havin right and left hand. recesses correspon mg in pitch to the threads, operating the switchw to bring the recesses in line' with the threads at the crossover points, means forgiving the cam a diden ent number of revolutions than the driver, and coections from the bed working in the threads and recesses.

d. The combination of a bed, a rotary driver having right and left hand threads crossing each other, a shaft therefor, switches having ri ht and left hand recesses on each side of the driver corresponding in pitch to the threads, connections between the switches for causing them to move together, a cam on the driver shaft for intermittently operating'the switches to bring the aw in line with the threads at the cross over points, means for giving thocem a differa cam for intermittently lllh ent number of revolutions than the driver,

and a roll on the bed working in the threads and recesses.

5. The combination of a reciprocating bed and a frame therefor, and driving mechanism for reciprocating the bed and removable from the bed and its frame as a unit.

6. The combination with a reciprocating bed, of a frame for the bed, a base for the frame, a carriage movable on the base into and out of operative relation with the bed, a driver having a worm and a shaft for the driver mounted on the carriage, a power shaft, a coupling between the power shaft and the driver shaft, and connections between the bed and the driver.

which the rollmay pass to free it from the Y worm. v

8. The combinationpwith a reciprocating bed, a drlver having a worm, a roll on the bed working in the'threads of the worm w and means wherebyithe' roll may be free sidewise from the worm to permit the worm to be moved awayjfrointhebed. r

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

we IL. "amen. 

